The elixir recipe states: Glazed Jade Birth Pill, with 'Sheng Huang', 'Tai Sui', 'Qian Insect', 'Ancient Fruit', ten grams each.

The method of refining, however, is not recorded.

Li Xian thought to himself it's a pity, if he could glance at the refining method, it would be like picking up gold, gaining a huge advantage for free.

Outwardly loyal and devoted, in reality, he always had plans to set up his own, but everything needed to be founded on strength.

"Madam, is alchemy difficult?"

Li Xian compared the elixir recipe, searching along the medicine cabinet. With his frequent interactions with Madam Wen, he had figured out her temperament, so he was much bolder in speaking and asking questions.

Pang Long held blind respect and fear for Madam, loyal and unwavering, not daring to say a word more. In fact, while Madam was indeed cold and self-serving, she was not impossible to converse with.

As long as she was not offended, normal conversation was fine.

Madam Wen was also collecting medicine. The true recipe for the Glazed Jade Birth Pill was in her mind. But she often divided the recipe into parts, storing them at Yunxiang Pavilion or her daily residence.

The purpose was to facilitate constant reflection and pondering.

"Of course, it's extremely difficult," Madam Wen said.

She moved lightly to a spot, her fair fingers opening a medicine cabinet, taking out a white silk sachet.

She flipped her hand, and inside the sachet were over a dozen small insects. Each one glinted silver, very lively.

"Silver Dragon... take four," she silently chanted in her heart. Taking out the small insect, even she had to be extremely careful in the process.

The Silver Dragon, an unusual insect in the world, possessed extreme toxicity, capable of corroding flesh and blood in an instant.

It needed to be entangled with silk for it to gradually settle. Without spraying its poison, Madam Wen's fingers lightly tapped in the air, controlling the silk with her inner qi, wrapping the Silver Dragon securely.

If Li Xian saw, he would surely notice that Madam Wen's qi control method was quite similar to the Jade Palm. Yet the difference between the two was like heaven and earth.

After the four Silver Dragons were wrapped, they fell into dormancy. Madam Wen placed them into a brocade pouch and immediately went to retrieve the next medicine.

She was familiar with Yunxiang Pavilion, knowing precisely the location of each ingredient without much thought. Her method of retrieving medicine was also eye-opening.

Quite peculiar.

"No Firefly Water"

This was a special water, transparent, colorless, tasteless, formless, and of no substance. Opening the medicine cabinet, it seemed empty.

The method of retrieval was also intriguing.

Madam Wen pulled out a strand of garment thread, then from the accessory on her left waist, took out a gold-textured ornament.

She gently bent the gold ornament, turning it into a fine golden hook.

Then she forced out a drop of blood from her forefinger. The blood was peculiar, although red, it had no fishy smell, but a fragrance instead.

With the blood hanging on the golden hook, she dangled it into the medicine cabinet containing the "No Firefly Water."

Holding the silk thread, she was surprisingly... fishing for the formless, insubstantial water with gold as the hook and blood as the bait.

The blood on the gold hook gradually turned blue.

However, retrieving the water entirely would take time.

The medicinal materials in Yunxiang Pavilion were truly her treasures. Considering how troublesome it was to retrieve medicine now, one could imagine the amount of effort it took to collect them initially.

"Madam, do you think... can I learn alchemy?" Li Xian still searched for medicine in the elixir recipe.

He hadn't found the corresponding medicine cabinet yet.

Madam Wen needed to wait; impatience wouldn't do. She wasn't opposed to Li Xian's questions, so she said, "You want to learn alchemy?"

Li Xian wanted to very much. Heaven rewards diligence... if applied to alchemy, it would be extremely powerful.

Since ancient times, alchemy has been a task with significant investment yet highly unstable returns. Don't think that Madam Wen was serious about refining elixirs; failure was highly possible in the end.

"Not exactly wanting to learn, just extremely curious," Li Xian couldn't say he wanted to learn, lest Madam become suspicious. Also, having just obtained the "Innate Washing Fetus Image," and now seeking alchemy technique might seem too greedy, making Madam suspect his "ravenous ambition."

He then asked, "Madam, do you believe such an immortal pill, allowing one to achieve Ascension, really exists?"

Madam Wen said faintly, "Focus on retrieving the medicine; if you make a mistake, go receive the flogging stick."

Li Xian tactfully stopped asking. Madam Wen fell into reminiscing; these strange and extraordinary tales might not all be false.

"Found it!"

Li Xian rejoiced, finally finding the "Sheng Huang" medicine cabinet. There were hidden latches on both sides of the cabinet; unlocking them allowed the cabinet to pull out.

Sheng Huang was a type of insect. It had a very strong fishy smell, its appearance was quite disgusting, slimy, the cabinet was full of mucus.

Fortunately, it was non-toxic.

Li Xian took the medicine scale, poured the slimy insects onto it. He measured ten grams and packed them in a special medicine bag.

Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.

Next was "Tai Sui," adjacent to Sheng Huang; within a few steps, he reached it.

"I remember Tai Sui from a past life; I wonder if these two things are similar or just coincidentally named the same."

Li Xian muttered.

He unlocked the hidden latch, pulled the medicine cabinet, and a stench immediately assaulted his nostrils. It felt as if a heavy hammer had struck his brain, forcing him back three steps.

"This thing stinks too much!" Li Xian covered his mouth and nose, but found the smell pervasive.

"Madam Wen asking me to fetch the medicine is probably because these medicinal materials are disgusting, so she didn't want to handle them herself!"

Li Xian realized, glancing at Madam Wen. Noticing her looking as well, her gaze held some interest.

Li Xian's eyes reddened, tears streaming. Not from crying, but because the smell invoked tears. Squinting, he approached again, finally seeing Tai Sui's true appearance.

It was a pitch-black mass of flesh.

"It's somewhat similar to what I remember from a past life, but there are definitely discrepancies. They are two different entities." Li Xian, having practiced martial arts for half a year, had experienced many difficult and dangerous things, mostly involving fights with people. Such peculiarities, thanks to Madam's guidance today, he finally glimpsed a piece.

Inside the medicine cabinet was a jade scissors.

Li Xian snipped a piece off the edge, a chunk of Tai Sui fell off.

"Ouch, which bastard dares disturb grandpa's sleep!" Suddenly, a curse was heard.

The black Tai Sui twitched.

"Wen Caishang, you damn woman, coming again to use grandpa for your alchemy!"

"Believe it or not, I'll spill all your business!"

"Damn woman, damn woman, damn woman!"

Curses rolled in.

"Huh, who are you, daring to snip grandpa, you have a death wish?" the black Tai Sui said.

Li Xian was greatly surprised and looked towards Madam Wen.

Madam Wen said, "Don't worry about it, just weigh it."

Li Xian placed the meat on the scale, finding it was four grams short. He clipped with the Jade Scissors once more, but still found it a gram short.

"My apologies, Senior Tai Sui," Li Xian said. With another clip of the Jade Scissors, the Black Tai Sui cursed, "You plague-ridden brat, you cut me three times!"

"Can't you clip a bit more at once and give back the excess? Oh… my meat!"

Li Xian asked, "If I give the meat back, can you still use it?"

Black Tai Sui replied, "Of course, you damn fool!" Hearing this, Li Xian became bold and cut off a large chunk immediately.

Having weighed exactly ten grams, he returned the excess meat. The Black Tai Sui miraculously healed back to normal, truly astonishing and eye-opening.

"What are you staring at, close it quickly, I want to sleep!"

"Damn you, Wen Caishang, you wicked woman, I curse you to die a miserable death."

"I've cursed you for years, yet you have no trouble. Ah, I've got it, this time I'm going to bless you, hehe, this kid is so ugly, I bless you to be with this kid…"

The Black Tai Sui was very noisy, chattering endlessly.

Madam Wen was evidently tired of Black Tai Sui's curses, her expression calm and unconcerned. She had heard in her youth that if a Tai Sui spoke, it often became true prophecy.

But this Black Tai Sui was clearly a different breed; its words never counted for anything. It had cursed her for years without the slightest sign of effect. Furthermore… if a Tai Sui spoke, it usually used very few words, unlike this torrent of nonsense.

Li Xian closed the medicine cabinet, locked it securely, and could no longer hear its cursing.

"So stinky, ugly, and noisy, no wonder Madam asked me to get it. If it were something good, how would it come to me?" Li Xian rubbed his nose. The situation improved significantly.

Ancient Fruit is a type of mountain fungus.

It's also difficult to weigh, but compared to Tai Sui, it was much easier. He quickly got ten grams and only the last item, "Qian Insect," remained.

He found the corresponding medicine cabinet.

Upon opening it, the cabinet was empty. There was no sign of the Qian Insect. Li Xian called out, "Madam, the Qian Insect is gone."

"Gone?"

Most of Madam Wen's herbs had been collected. Hearing Qian Insect was exhausted, she paused in surprise.

She walked briskly over to see the cabinet indeed empty.

It turned out that they had already used up the Qian Insect the last time it was taken out. Madam Wen was distracted by the Black Tai Sui and overlooked this matter.

"Since the Qian Insect is gone… it seems we need to step out," Madam Wen's eyebrows slightly furrowed.

Li Xian asked, "What about these herbs…" Madam Wen replied, "Store them for now, prepare yourself, and accompany me out."

"Madam, I'm going too?" Li Xian asked in surprise.

Madam Wen nodded, "What, you don't want the chance to see the world."

Li Xian thought to himself, "The Madam is testing again." He said, "I would love to, but if I go, there will be no one to manage the Nursing Home, and Qingning County has been unstable lately. If thieves were to break in or steal herbs, it would be disastrous."

Madam Wen was pleased at Li Xian's thorough consideration but this time, it was not a test; she had her own plans:

"This child is quite good and worthy of cultivation. This time out of the manor, we'll deal with the apothecary, and they're bound to encounter various people. Let this child accompany and listen to my instructions."

"Moreover, he's young and handsome; having him accompany me won't disgrace me."

The Madam frequently left the manor.

But she never took Qiuyue or Pang Long outside. The reason is, sending them would instead ruin her own image.

It's ironic, but it's the truth.

She said:

"Prepare yourself, this time you shall come out with me."

Without further explanation, she lightly stepped away, her long skirt dragging on the floor but without gathering dust, she was already gone.

Li Xian could only follow, by the time he left Yunxiang Pavilion, it was already dusk.

Madam Wen said, "Leave the manor at the hour of Xu, any delay and it's forty strokes of the rattan stick."

Li Xian was speechless, watching Madam Wen fade into the distance. He didn't know if this trip would be long or short, but he anticipated meeting with the apothecary, sure that it would be an eye-opening experience.

He couldn't help but feel a growing anticipation.

As for Yunxiang Pavilion… Since Madam wasn't worried, neither was he.

"I didn't expect to see the world so soon, following Madam outside."

...

...

The hour of Xu.

The last rays of the setting sun shone at the manor's entrance.

Li Xian stood straight, youthful and spirited, a long knife at his left and a Golden Bow slung over his back, waiting at the door.

A Fragrant Jade Horse Carriage approached.

It was Li Xian's first time seeing the madam's travel setup.

The carriage was sleek, in black jade color, made of black nanmu, with complex craftsmanship throughout. The joints of the wheels and body had intricate mechanics so that the steep road could not bother the compartment.

The curtains were of silk, inlaid with gold threads and pearls, beautifully embroidered.

"Judging a person by their clothes," Li Xian remembered the saying. This fragrant carriage alone could deter most troublesome fools.

A Martial Artist… paid even more attention to appearance.

Carriage, horses, house, all represent face.

Madam Wen lifted the curtain, seeing Li Xian standing upright, with a style and aura completely unlike the peasants of Qingning County, nor like a gentleman from a noble family.

Instead, he had a unique style and aura.

Madam Wen paused for a moment, marveling, "I never noticed before, but this child indeed has unique qualities."

She withdrew her gaze, dropping the curtain.

"Li Xian, drive the carriage. Seeing as we're out, let's first visit my friends from Jianghu."

The voice came from the carriage.

...

...

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